


Let's Chat

by ElenaDamonForever81



Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27409789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElenaDamonForever81/pseuds/ElenaDamonForever81
Summary: So, this prompt came up in a conversation with lauren2381, chyron girl, ididitjustforthis, and Disnerd71. Clay and Emma meet through a chat and get to know each other while Clay is on Green Team. They talk and confide in each other, then end up falling in love.
Relationships: Emma Hayes/Clay Spenser
Comments: 36
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

Emma opened the door to her home with a heavy sigh. Her mom was going to be away for a week with her brother and her father was on a spin up. She was so tired, she was tired of having to be an adult. All she wanted to do was be a normal kid. She was tired of being alone. Her mom was consumed with her brother and his hockey or with work. Her dad was always deployed or spun up and she understood that he had a very important occupation. He was a SEAL, he protected people who couldn’t protect themselves. She understood that but she also would like to talk to someone who wasn’t her best friends Hannah Seaver and Cathy Porter. She moved towards her bedroom and sat down on her bed. She pulled her laptop from her backpack and was about to start her homework when she noticed that there was something new trending on Google. She opened the link and it was to a new chat room app, LetsChat. She thought about it for a moment and clicked to download the app. Once it was downloaded, she put in her information and decided on the username Songbird2000. She began looking through the chat and she answered some questions to get a better match for a virtual friend. She answered the twenty questions and she was given a 90% match to another user RealDealSEAL, it looks like they had just joined as well. She debated on starting a chat with them but something told her too. 

“Hi!” She sent with a smiley face emoji and waited for a response. After a few minutes, she decided to go downstairs and grab something to drink before coming back into the room. She noticed that she had received a message. 

“Hey.” It was from RealDealSEAL.

“I’ve never really done this before…” Emma sent the message to them, hoping to get the conversation started.

“Me neither…” 

“So… what made you join the app?” Emma asked.

“Having a hard time at work... No one seems to understand. I thought that I could talk to someone and get it out of my mind.” Was the reply that Emma got.

“Do you… do you want to talk about it?” Emma asked.

“It’s kind of hard to understand… I can’t really talk about it.” 

“Okay… but I would like to help.” She sent and waited.

“I’m trying to do something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a little boy. I got the chance and… I think I blew it.” Was the reply she got. Okay, so now Emma knows that this person was a guy. 

“Really, why do you think that you blew it?” Emma asked him, needing more detail.

“I didn’t listen to someone’s order. Someone who has a lot of say in whether I get to do my dream of not. Actually, he is someone that I admire a great deal.”

“Why didn’t you follow his order?” 

“Because I was trying to save his life.” 

“If you saved his life, why would he stop you from getting your dream job?” Emma asked, not completely understanding.

“That ties into him not liking my father, who really no one likes.” 

“Just because they don’t like your father, they shouldn’t push that on you.”

“You would think. What about you? Why did you join the app?” he asked. Emma thought about it for a moment and decided to answer.

“I’ve been lonely lately. My mom is busy with my little brother and my dad… well… he works alot.” Emma simply answered, knowing that she couldn’t tell a complete stranger about her father's job. 

“Understandable… well, if you ever need to talk, I will be on this app.” 

“Me too. I have homework to do. I’ll talk to you another time?” Emma asked, hopefully.

“Absolutely. Can’t wait.” 

Clay/Emma------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay/Emma

Clay walked into his bunk room where he was staying for his duration on Green Team. He had a bad day, Jason Hayes still hates him. He knew that he should have listened to his orders, but Jason was in danger. He sat down on his bunk and pulled out his laptop. He was searching for something to do tonight since Green Team didn’t have exercises. He noticed that there was a trending app called LetsChat. He thought about it for a moment but then decided to check it out. He clicked on the icon, downloaded the app and then filled out the information. He decided on the username RealDealSEAL. He did the questionnaire to link you with someone who may have the same interests are you. After a few moments, he got a hit on someone named Songbird2000. He noticed that there was a message from the user.

“Hi!” The message said with a smiley smile. He chuckled, this had to be a woman. 

“Hey.” Clay replied and waited. 

“I’ve never really done this before…”   
“Me neither…” Clay simply replied not really knowing what to say. 

“So… what made you join the app?” Songbird 2000 asked.

“Having a hard time at work... No one seems to understand. I thought that I could talk to someone and get it out of my mind.”

“Do you… do you want to talk about it?” Clay read this and debated on answering. He couldn’t just tell a complete stranger about his life or about being a SEAL. 

“It’s kind of hard to understand… I can’t really talk about it.” 

“Okay… but I would like to help.” 

Clay took a deep breath and then began to type, “I’m trying to do something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a little boy. I got the chance and… I think I blew it.” 

“Really, why do you think that you blew it?” 

He knew that he couldn’t go into detail but it felt good to talk about this with someone, so he replied, “I didn’t listen to someone’s order. Someone who has a lot of say in whether I get to do my dream of not. Actually, he is someone that I admire a great deal.”

“Why didn’t you follow his order?” 

“Because I was trying to save his life.” 

“If you saved his life, why would he stop you from getting your dream job?” 

“That ties into him not liking my father, who really no one likes.” Clay knew that the real reason Jason was so against him was because his father was Ash Spenser. 

“Just because they don’t like your father, they shouldn’t push that on you.”

Clay nodded his head in agreement with the statement before changing the subject to her. “You would think. What about you? Why did you join the app?”

“I’ve been lonely lately. My mom is busy with my little brother and my dad… well… he works alot.” It was a simple answer, but Clay knew that there was something more to the story. 

“Understandable… well, if you ever need to talk, I will be on this app.” He simply stated. 

“Me too. I have homework to do. I’ll talk to you another time?” 

He looked at the reply and smiled. He was actually enjoying their conversation so he replied with “Absolutely. Can’t wait.”


	2. Chapter 2

Clay and Brian Armstrong walked into the Bulkhead Bar. They had gone through Master Chief Seaver’s obstacle course and were waiting on the bottom five list to come out. Clay and Brian moved over to an empty table and sat down with their beers. “So, who do you believe will be going home?” Clay asked his friend.

“Don’t know man.” Brian said to him.

“I know that I’m not going to be on that list.” Clay told him and Brian rolled his eyes.

“Really? How do you know that?” 

“Because I’m good.” Clay insisted.

“Just because you’re good doesn’t mean you won’t go home. It’s also about character. And there are alot of people that don’t like you.”

“Seriously? It’s every man for themselves. We are better than them.” Clay insisted and Brian scoffed. 

“Dude, this is a team, a family. This isn’t a one man thing.” Brian told him. “Think about what happened today. I stopped to help a teammate and you didn’t. You were the one who was chewed out by Master Chief, not me. I care more about my teammates than to just leave them behind.” Clay just looked at him for a moment and Brian shook his head. 

Clay was thinking about that day when his phone dinged, he pulled it out and it was Songbird2000 texting him through LetsChat. 

“Hey, just needed someone to talk to.” Was the message he received and he immediately wondered what had happened. 

“Everything okay?” He asked and waited for a response.

“One of my dad’s best friends died and we are packing up his wife and son, they are moving back to her hometown.” 

“Wow, that’s rough. Anything I can do?” 

“Not unless you can bring him back…”

“Sorry, no can do.”

“It’s fine… what about you? Anything interesting happening with you?”

“Well, I’m waiting to hear some good news from work. If everything goes good, I will be on the right track in my career.”

“Well, I hope that everything works out.” 

“Thanks.” Clay sent back with a smile. 

Brian noticed his smile and asked him about it. “Who put that smile on your face?”

“What? Just someone I’ve been texting.”

“Girl?”

“Of course.”

“Beautiful?”

“I don’t know. We met on the LetsChat app.”

“You know that's one of the most lucrative dating/hook up app, right?”

“Well, I don’t think either of us are looking for a hookup.” 

“Well… maybe you should be looking for someone. What about her?” Brain asked, looking over at the bar. There was a brunette woman sitting at the bar, alone.

“She’s alright, I guess. Why don’t you shoot your shot with her.” Clay told him and Brian smiled.

“Maybe I will.” Brian said as he stood up and walked over to the bar. Clay shook his head and looked down at his phone, he had another message from Songbird2000.

“So, are you ever going to tell me what you do?”

He thought about it for a moment and then replied, “Maybe… but we should probably get to know each other better before I do that.”

“Okay, Mr. Mysterious. So that means that I’m not telling you much about me yet either.”

Clay chuckled, “okay, fair enough.” Clay said and Brian moved back to the table. “How’d it go, bud?”

“Well, her name is Stella. She is an aspiring teacher and she isn’t impressed by the knight in shining armor thing, but she did give me her number.” 

“Nice.” 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma was sitting inside Landon Massey’s bedroom, packing it. Her Aunt Molly was selling the house and moving back to her hometown. She needed to leave Virginia Beach, she couldn’t stay here after Nate died. She was packing a bag when she heard her father come into the house. Her dad and mom were talking to each other while her brother was packing up the kitchen. She was trying to pack Landon’s stuff up, but every emotion that she thought had passed, came rushing back. She pulled out her phone and got on the LetsChat app. She messaged RealDealSEAL. 

“Hey, just needed someone to talk to.” 

“Everything okay?” Was the response she received and Emma smiled. 

“One of my dad’s best friends died and we are packing up his wife and son, they are moving back to her hometown.” 

“Wow, that’s rough. Anything I can do?” She thought that it was so generous that he was worried about something in her life, even though they had never actually met. 

“Not unless you can bring him back…”

“Sorry, no can do.” 

“It’s fine… what about you? Anything interesting happening with you?” She wanted to change the subject and talk about something else. 

“Well, I’m waiting to hear some good news from work. If everything goes good, I will be on the right track in my career.”

Emma was happy that he was being successful in what he wanted to do. “Well, I hope that everything works out.” 

“Thanks.” 

“So, are you ever going to tell me what you do?” There wasn’t a response for a few minutes until her phone dinged. 

“Maybe… but we should probably get to know each other better before I do that.”

She shook her head and laughed, “Okay, Mr. Mysterious. So that means that I’m not telling you much about me yet either.”

“Okay, fair enough.” 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

The next day, Clay, Brain and the rest of the Green Team were going to the Green Team room to find out who was in the bottom five. Clay still believed that he would be at the top of the list. As Adam Seaver placed the paper on the board, Clay could not believe what he saw. His name was the third on the bottom five list. After everything was said and down, he walked out of the room, got into his car and drove to his apartment. He couldn’t believe that he had made the bottom five, maybe Brian was right. He pulled out his phone and debated bringing this to Songbird2000 and asking for her advice. After a few minutes, he pulled up the app and started typing. 

“Hey, are you busy?” He sent the message and waited a few minutes before he received a message.

“Just doing homework, but I need a break. What’s up?”

“You remember me talking about waiting on some news from work?”

“Yeah, how did that go?”

“Not as well as I thought…”

“What happened?”

Clay hesitated for a moment, unsure how much he should tell her. “I didn’t do as well as I should have on… my evaluation.” Clay didn’t know how else to put it without coming right out and telling her about the SEALs. 

“Oh… why didn’t you do as well as you should?”

“Because as good as I am at my job, I don’t ‘play well with others’ apparently and that is a big part of doing my job.” He sent the message and didn’t get a response for several minutes.

“Why don’t you play well with others? You seem so friendly…”

Clay laughed, “yes I am friendly. But in my occupation, being friendly isn’t what you go for. I have a tendency to want to prove myself over everyone else.”

“But why?”

Clay sighed and decided to tell her the truth, some of the truth. “My father did the same job that I’m doing right now and… he has rubbed people the wrong way. I feel as if I need to prove myself everyday to erase what my dad’s done.” 

“That actually seems… noble.” 

“What do you mean?” Clay asked, confused.

“I mean that you are trying to be your own person and trying to get out of your father's shadow. You didn’t start doing whatever you do to follow in his footsteps did you?”

“NO, NO, if anything I'm trying to erase them.” 

“Do you share that with your co-workers?” 

“No, my line of work isn’t really much for talking… and they see me as cocky and arrogant.”

“Are you?”

He smiled, he loved that she was straight forward and didn’t beat around the bush. “Yeah, I guess I am.” 

“Are you really cocky and arrogant or is this a part of the facade you show?”

Clay shook his head, even over the phone this girl knew him better than he knew himself, and they hadn't even met in person. “I guess I am a little cocky and arrogant but it does go along with the facade too.”

“Then why not show your true self to them?”

Clay paused for a moment and actually thought about that. “You know what? I’m going to try that. Thanks!”

“No problem, I live to help.” 

“I’ve got to get to bed. You have a goodnight.”

“You too!”

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma was sitting on her bed, trying to decipher her math homework. She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. She was about to begin looking at her homework again when she remembered that her phone dinged a few minutes before. She hoped that it was RealDealSEAL, she has enjoyed their conversation so far. She looked at the message and read. 

“Hey, are you busy?” 

“Just doing homework, but I need a break. What’s up?”

“You remember me talking about waiting on some news from work?”

Emma thought back to their conversation the night before. “Yeah, how did that go?”

“Not as well as I thought…”

“What happened?”

There was a few minutes of silence before she got a reply. “I didn’t do as well as I should have on… my evaluation.” 

Emma read that and she was confused, he said that he was good at his job, so why would he have a bad evaluation. “Oh… why didn’t you do as well as you should?”

“Because as good as I am at my job, I don’t ‘play well with others’ apparently and that is a big part of doing my job.” 

She read that and thought long and hard about what to reply. She thought ‘maybe he isn’t as great as I think he is.’ “Why don’t you play well with others? You seem so friendly…”

He responded immediately, “yes I am friendly. But in my occupation, being friendly isn’t what you go for. I have a tendency to want to prove myself over everyone else.”

This intrigued Emma, “But why?”

“My father did the same job that I’m doing right now and… he has rubbed people the wrong way. I feel as if I need to prove myself everyday to erase what my dad’s done.” 

Emma thought about what he said and then replied, “that actually seems… noble.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean that you are trying to be your own person and trying to get out of your father's shadow. You didn’t start doing whatever you do to follow in his footsteps did you?”

“NO, NO, if anything I'm trying to erase them.” 

Emma couldn’t understand how his co-workers would not like him if he was trying to erase his father's impact on the job. “Do you share that with your co-workers?” 

“No, my line of work isn’t really much for talking… and they see me as cocky and arrogant.”

“Are you?” Emma asked because she knew plenty of cocky and arrogant people, her father was the first one to come to mind. 

“Yeah, I guess I am.” 

She looked at his reply and knew that he was holding something back. “Are you really cocky and arrogant or is this a part of the facade you show?”

“I guess I am a little cocky and arrogant but it does go along with the facade too.”

“Then why not show your true self to them?” She typed this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“You know what? I’m going to try that. Thanks!”

She smiled, happy that she could help him with something. “No problem, I live to help.” 

“I’ve got to get to bed. You have a goodnight.”

Emma was a little disappointed, but she did have to get back to her homework. “You too!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to ididitjustforthis for proofing!

Clay walked into the Green Team workout room and made a beeline for Brian, who was sitting in his cage. He came up to the door and knocked on the cage to get his attention. 

“I’m sorry. The SEALs mean everything to me but I understand that you have to work together to make the teams instead of work by yourself.” Clay exhaled. 

Brian just stared at him, “You, Clay Spenser, are apologizing for something? I’m shocked.” Brian jokingly retorted.

“Yeah, a friend of mine made me realize that I needed to be myself and not act like a total ass.” 

“Whoever this friend is, I want to meet him because he was able to take you down a few arrogant notches.”

“Yeah, well, I haven’t actually met her.”

“Her? Oh, is this the one you were talking to on that hookup app?”

“It’s not a hookup app or at least that isn’t why she and I are using it.” Clay admitted in a decisive tone. 

“Well, whoever she is, you should marry her. Might keep you on the teams.”

“Whatever. Who’s blowing up your phone?” Clay asked, wondering who in the world could have texted Brian 7 times during their conversation.

“The girl from the bar.” Brian winked.

Clay scrunched his eyebrows and then remembered last night at the bar. “Oh, Sarah, right?”

“Stella. She’s inviting me to a party at her apartment with some of her college friends.”

“You gonna go?” Clay couldn’t really see Brian as the cocktail party type.

“Yeah, you wanna go?” Brian looked at Clay, who shook his head.

“No, that isn’t really my kind of party.”

“Come on, Spenser. Let’s go, you might have some fun. Might find you a lovely lady.”

“Whatever.” The two of them walked from the locker room, back to the barracks and changed to leave for Stella’s party. 

They arrived fifteen minutes later and Stella opened the door. She greeted them and Brian introduced Stella to Clay. They chatted for a moment before moving towards the kitchen and getting something to drink. 

“Why don’t you mingle, Clay?” Stella asked but before Clay could respond, Brian jumped in.

“Clay, here, is hung up on a girl he’s messaging. She’s really changed him, you know. He apologized for being an ass and hasn’t been arrogant or cocky all day.” Brian announced with pride and Clay chuckled. They stayed at the party for a couple of hours, then returned to the base. 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

The next morning, they were listening to Master Chief Seaver talk before climbing into the plane so they could practice HALO jumps. Clay and his team jumped with minimal difficulty and each one of them landed safely. As he was working his way out of his parachute, the HALO instructor noticed that six people jumped, but there were only five parachute’s open. Clay began looking at the sky and other green team members on the ground, trying to find out whose parachute hadn’t opened. He knew that Brian was jumping with the team after him. He watched as the instructor found out it was Brian whose parachute hadn’t opened. He watched in horror as his best friend came crashing to the ground. He stood in shock as the medics raced towards Brian, but he knew that there was no help for him. 

An hour later, he was standing inside his cage trying not to fall apart. He had watched his best friend die during a training exercise. He knew that he would lose friends, brothers, but he always assumed that would be on the battlefield, never during training. He glanced over at Brian’s cage and then back to his bag. He pulled out his phone. Clay really needed to talk to someone and he knew exactly who to contact. He opened the LetsChat app and began to type. 

“Hey, can you talk? I really need someone right now.” He sent the message without a second thought. He hated feeling weak but it isn’t like they actually knew each other. A few seconds later, he got a quick reply.

“Yeah, I’m free. What is it? You seem upset.” He smiled slightly, she didn’t even know anything about him and she was still worried.

“My… my best friend died unexpectedly today and I’m having a rough time.”

“Oh… I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do?” 

Clay picked up his bag and began walking out of the room and into the hallway. As he was typing, he ran into Master Chief Hayes and Seaver. 

“Sorry about your friend, Spenser.” Jason told him and Clay nodded. 

“Brian made you his CACO, meaning that you will need to notify his family about his death.”

“Me?” Clay was shocked, Brian had never told him that.

“Yeah, we’ll be flying to Bakersfield tomorrow and flying back in a day or two. Meet me at the airport at 0700.” Adam told him and nodded before walking off. Jason and Clay’s eyes met and Jason nodded at him as if asking him if he is okay. Clay nodded again, letting him know that he was alright. They parted ways and Clay finished typing his message to Songbird2000. 

“Not that I know of. I’m just… lost I guess. Thank you for being so sympathetic.” 

“Of course, if I can do anything just let me know.” He smiled and got into his car. 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma had just finished her afternoon class when she heard her phone ping. She assumed that it was from her dad or mom wanting her to do something but she was surprised to see RealDealSEAL had messaged her. 

“Hey, can you talk? I really need someone right now.” She scrunched her eyebrows, having talked to him multiple times she could tell that he was not a very open person and him actually asking her if she could talk, told her that there was a problem. 

“Yeah, I’m free. What is it? You seem upset.” She sent the message in a hurry, knowing that he was troubled about something. 

“My… my best friend died unexpectedly today and I’m having a rough time.” 

Emma read that and suddenly felt as if she was devastated. She knew what it was like to lose someone you care about. “Oh… I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do?” She waited for a few moments and when she didn’t get a reply, she climbed into her car and drove home. Once she reached her house, she heard her phone go off. 

“Not that I know of. I’m just… lost I guess. Thank you for being so sympathetic.” 

She smiled and replied, “Of course, if I can do anything just let me know.”

An hour later, her father and her Uncle Adam walked into the house. She moved from her bedroom into the kitchen and heard them talking. 

“I can’t just let the kid go by himself. But, I also promised Hannah a father/daughter day and I can’t cancel that again.” 

“Spenser is a grown man. He should be able to handle this.” 

“Who’s Spenser and what can he take care of by himself?” Emma asked her father as she moved to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator. 

“A guy from Green Team. His best friend was killed during a training mission. He is responsible for notifying the guy's family. I was supposed to go with him but Hannah and I have a father/daughter thing planned that I can’t cancel.” 

“He will be fine.” Jason insisted, but Emma saw the look on her Uncle Adam’s face and she wasn’t so sure. 

“What are you going to do?” Emma asked and Adam looked at her for a moment before turning to Jason, then moving back to Emma. 

“What do you have to do this weekend, Em?” 

Before Emma could answer, Jason cut in. “No! No, no, no, no, no! My teenage daughter is not going to be traipsing around the country with Spenser. I forbid it.” Jason practically shouted. 

Emma looked at her father before turning to her uncle, “I’m free this weekend, why?” 

“Would you go to Bakersfield with Spenser?”

Emma was taken aback for a moment then answered, “Yeah, I guess. Where am I meeting him?” 

“I’ll drop you off at the airport and talk to Spenser before Hannah and I start our father/daughter weekend. Wear something dressy.” Emma nodded while Jason rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. 

“What could go wrong?” Emma asked. 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Clay was standing in front of the airport on Friday waiting for Master Chief Seaver. He saw Adam pull up in his black truck. He got out of the driver's seat and walked over to him. 

“I know you said civies but I thought something a little formal would be more appropriate?” Clay inquired, confused at the Master Chief’s attire. Adam chuckled. 

“I’m not going with you. I had a conflicting event.”

“Oh great! What the hell am I going to do? I’ve never done a casualty notification.” 

“Relax, Spenser. I’m sending someone with you who knows the drill.” Adam motioned to his truck and Clay turned his head just in time to see a gorgeous blonde jump out of the truck wearing a deep blue dress top and black pencil skirt. Clay’s mouth fell open as he saw her pull a bag from the backseat and walk over to them. 

“Close your mouth, Spenser. She isn’t the woman to fool around with.” Adam quickly mentioned before Emma walked over to them. 

“Is she your daughter?” Clay wondered what he had meant by his statement. 

Adam chuckled, “No, but her father isn’t the one you want to mess with either.” Emma smiled at them both as she came to stand beside Adam and Clay thought that he was going to collapse at how beautiful she was. “Clay Spenser meet Jason Hayes’ daughter, Emma Hayes.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Clay.” Emma said as she extended her hand for him to shake. The moment she saw him when she climbed out of Adam’s truck, she was shell shocked. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Emma.” They continued to shake hands and stare into each other’s eyes. Adam looked between the two of them as they seemed to be in their own world. He cleared his throat forcing them back into the real world. 

“So, Emma I will be back to pick you up from here on Sunday. Be careful and stay safe. Jason will kill me for suggesting this if anything happens to you so do me a favor and stay out of trouble.”

With that, they said their goodbyes and Clay and Emma made their way into the airport. 90 minutes later they were on the plane and in the air without issue. 

Two hours into the five hour flight, Emma looked away from her book to see Clay staring out the window. DEVGRU had, surprisingly, gotten them two first class tickets and they were the only ones in that cabin. Emma reached over and lightly poked him to get his attention. He turned and looked into her eyes. 

“You seem nervous.” She stated.

“A little.” Clay gave her a small smile before returning his eyes to the clouds. 

“So… we’re going to be spending the weekend together, do you think we should get to know each other better? So there isn’t an awkward silence like right now?” 

Clay gave a slight chuckle. “What do you want to know?” 

Emma shrugged and went for something simple.

“Tell me about your family.” 

Clay hesitated, “My dad was a SEAL and he seemed to care more about that than me and my mom. My mom tried for a while but she couldn’t take care of both of us so she shipped me to my grandparents overseas.” Emma stared at him and he thought that she was feeling sorry for him, but was surprised by her statement. 

“So we have one thing in common, our father’s are both SEALs.”

“Yeah, but my father is nothing like Jason. Your dad… he is a legend, he’s a good SEAL, and I bet he is a good father as well.” 

“He is.”

“Then the only thing that our dad’s have in common is the SEAL thing.” 

“Right.... But you and I may have something else in common. We find common ground and this weekend may not be all sad.” 

“Common ground… blonde hair and blue eyes?” Clay joked.

Emma giggled, “yes, but something else! What’s your favorite color?” 

“Blue.” 

“Mine too. See we are getting to know each other. What do you do for fun?”

Clay paused, “Brian and I would go out to a bar.” Emma placed her hand on his forearm and squeezed lightly. “What about you?”

“I sing.” That sat in silence before Clay began talking again. 

“We still have about an hour and a half before we land. You may want to take a nap. We have a good two hour drive after that.” 

“Good idea.” 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Four hours later, they were in a rental car driving towards the address they had in Brian’s file. Clay was in the driver's seat while Emma was in the passenger side looking over the file. 

“So… what do you know about Brian’s parents? What do they do? What are their names?” Emma questioned as she was reading the files in her lap. 

“Just what he told me about. His dad sells insurance and his mom is a librarian. He had the stereotypical life: suburban house, white picket fence with a swing in the yard. His mom’s name is Lucy and his father's name is Dennis.” 

Emma nodded and the silence settled for a moment before Clay asked his own question. 

“Have you ever done this before?” 

Emma looked over at him and sighed, “Yeah, I guess. I mean I’ve been with dad, Uncle Adam, and Uncle Ray when they’ve made casualty notifications. But usually it's with the spouse of a SEAL so they already know when they see them.” She was solemn for a moment, thinking about her Uncle Nate. Clay noticed that she was clamming up and reached his hand over to place it on hers. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking about my Uncle Nate. He had been a member of Bravo since I can remember and he was killed on an op a couple months ago.” She gave him a sad smile before continuing with her earlier thoughts. “Anyway, you never know how someone will react to the news that someone they love passed. They could be in shock, cry hysterically, be angry, you never know what you are getting into.” 

“Never know what’s behind the door until you breach it.” Clay and Emma said at the same time. Clay chuckled while Emma giggled.

“My dad says that all the time.” She explained and Clay nodded. 

“You learn that during BUD/S but it’s something that is told to you repeatedly while you’re on the teams.” 

The GPS said that the address was half a mile away and both took deep breaths to prepare themselves for the mission at hand. Clay pulled into a small restaurant parking lot and both looked confused. Emma looked down at the address in the file and then to the mailbox. 

“It’s the right address.” They both shrugged their shoulders and got out of the vehicle. They entered the restaurant and a woman led them to a table. They ordered some food and tried to figure out how to approach the subject. 

“Ma’am?” Emma got the waitresses attention and asked if she knew either of Brian’s parents. She told them about a house ten minutes away from the restaurant. “Thank you, do you know about any hotels or B&B’s close by?”

“Yes, there is a beautiful B&B about five minutes down the road towards the right.”

“Thank you.” Clay said as he pulled out his wallet. “It’s on me.” 

“Clay, you don’t have too.” 

“It’s fine.” 

They left the restaurant and drove to the B&B. Clay parked in the small parking lot and led Emma into the lobby. 

“Well, aren’t the two of you the cutest couple I’ve ever seen!” An old woman said as she came into the room. Clay and Emma both opened their mouths to protest but the older woman continued. “Are the two of you here on your honeymoon? Oh, I get so excited about young love and looking at the two of you, I know that it’s going to last forever! Do you have a reservation?” She moved around behind the desk. 

“No, ma’am…” Clay tried to explain but she put her hand up to stop him. 

“That is just fine, young man. I actually have one room left. But it’s only for tonight.”

“That’s fine.” Emma jumped in and Clay looked at her. “We only need one night before we leave Bakersfield.” 

“I’ll make sure that you two lovebirds get the honeymoon special breakfast in the morning. And the room I happen to have open is the honeymoon suite! I just know the two of you will love it!” She led them to the room and opened the door. The room had dim lighting and there were candles lit all around. It had the largest bed she had ever seen and a Jacuzzi in the corner, near the windows. The Jacuzzi was big enough for two people and Emma began blushing as Clay cleared his throat. He sat their bags beside the red, satin sheeted bed and both turned to look at the older woman. 

“Do you like the room?” 

“Yes, it’s lovely.” 

“Absolutely gorgeous!”

“Well, I will leave the two of you to settle in.” She gave them a knowing smile and a wink before closing the door behind her. 

“I’ll… uh… take the couch.” Clay nodded towards the small love seat at the foot on the bed. 

“No, no. That is way too short for you. We can just… we can share. The bed is definitely big enough for the two of us to sleep in.” 

“Okay, as long as you aren’t uncomfortable.” 

“You aren’t going to try to take advantage of me are you?” She lifted one eyebrow and gave him a cheeky smile. 

Clay chuckled, “No, are you?”

“Mmmm. Not planning on it.” She shared a smile before Emma broke their bubble. “We should get to the address that the waitress gave us.”

Clay sighed deeply and nodded in agreement. They placed their bags on their respective sides of the bed before leaving. They climbed into the vehicle and punched in the address before pulling away from the bed & breakfast. They pulled up in front of a white house with a sign on the front lawn. 

“No, this cannot be right.” Clay was adamant as he read the sign, it was a group home. 

“This is the address that she gave us.” 

“She must be wrong. This isn’t what Brian told me.” Clay refused to believe that his friend had lied to him. 

“Let’s just get out and talk. She may have gotten the address wrong.” They got out of the car and walked up the drive. They reached the front door, but Clay stopped Emma from knocking. She saw that he was nervous and she laced their fingers together. “Whatever happens, we’re in this together.” 

Clay nodded and knocked on the door. An older, black man greeted them. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, we’re looking for the family of Brian Armstrong.” 

The man looked somber before inviting them inside. He led them into the living room where he invited them to sit. Both sat down on the couch near a bookshelf. The man left to move towards the kitchen to get them refreshments. Clay glanced around the room and something caught his eye beside him on the bookshelf. It was his father’s book. He pulled it out and looked at it. Emma glanced over to see what grabbed his attention.. 

“Your dad’s book?”

“Yeah, how did you know?” 

“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” 

“Cross my heart.” 

“I’ve read it.” 

Clay’s eyes widened in shock. “Really?”

“Well, yeah. I mean… I’ve lived with a SEAL my whole life, but I’ve never known what you go through. Reading the book gave me some idea of what the work is like. But, don’t ever tell my dad, he would disown me!” 

“Your secret is safe with me. Actually, my dad is coming into town for a book signing. He invited me but I didn’t want to go alone. Do you wanna go with me? Since you’re familiar with the source material.” He inquired with a teasing tone. 

Emma snorted.

“Sure. Just let me know when.” 

The man returned with bottles of water and sat across from them before explaining about Brian and his past. Brian’s mother had died while he was young and his father had abused him for a long time before he went to prison. After that, Brian was orphaned and sent to the group home Clay and Emma were sitting in. Emma looked over at Clay and saw his face was void of any emotion. Even though she hadn’t known him very long, she could tell that he was trying to hide his real reaction to the news. 

“Thank you for your time.” Emma told the nice, older man. 

“Of course. You know, Brian spent a lot of time at the restaurant down the street. You may be able to get more information about his family from there.” 

She nodded and grabbed Clay’s hand, pulling him up from the couch. They walked out of the house, climbed into the car and drove back to the B&B. Clay pulled into the driveway, turned off the car and moved towards the door. Emma could tell he was hurting so she took a deep breath and followed after him. They just reached their room when the older woman from earlier brought them two trays of food. 

“This is the honeymoon dinner. It comes with the room.” Emma nodded in gratitude as she carried the trays into the room. She bid the older woman goodnight before closing and locking the door. 

Clay had not said a word the entire ride back. Emma sat down on the bed, far enough away to give him space but close enough to provide comfort. 

“Why?” Clay finally croaked out.

“I don’t know.” 

“Why would he lie to me about his life? He was my best friend!” Clay had tears running down his cheeks. Emma got up from the bed and moved over to the loveseat beside him. 

“Did you tell him about your life?” Emma questioned, curious about what he had told him. 

“Not much. But he knew about my mom and Ash.” 

Emma nodded before leaning her head on his shoulder. “Maybe he didn’t tell you for the same reason you didn’t tell him everything. SEALs are seen as invincible and unbreakable. Maybe he didn’t want you to look at him differently.”

“I wouldn’t have.”

“I know.” They stayed in that position for a few minutes before Emma sat back up. “How about we eat, get ready for bed and then we go back to the restaurant and try to get more information?” 

Clay nodded in agreement before getting up to grab the trays. He walked back over to Emma and they laughed at the contents. Each plate had a nice piece of Filet Mignon, creamy Mac and cheese, six pieces of lemon butter shrimp, and two crab cakes shaped into hearts.

They ate and joked as if they had known each other their whole lives. As they finished their meals, Emma looked over at the Jacuzzi. She got an idea. She could tell that Clay was still upset so she made a bold suggestion. 

“Did you bring swim trunks?”

“Yeah, I think so. Why?”

“Well, I brought my bathing suit as well and I was thinking we could go sit in the Jacuzzi. Try to relax. Today was a lot to take in.” She gave Clay a knowing look, letting him know that she could see right through him. 

“Let’s do it.” 

They turned on the Jacuzzi, changed into their respective swimsuits and climbed into the warm, bubbling water. They sat opposite of each other and sighed as the jets massaged the tension away. Both of them had their eyes closed until Emma’s phone began to ring. She saw that it was her dad on Facetime and sank deeper into the water to cover herself up to her neck. Clay wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. 

She looked over at Clay, “It’s my dad. Don’t say a word.” 

Clay nodded, and began looking at his phone as well. 

She answered with a smile. “Hi, Daddy!”

“Hey, baby! How are you doing? Is everything okay? Spenser treating you well? Protecting you?”

“Yeah, Daddy, Clay is being a perfect gentleman. I’m just relaxing for a little while before I go to bed.” 

“Okay, how did it go?”

“It went okay, We have been running around Bakersfield trying to find Brian’s family. We have a lead and hopefully we’ll find them tomorrow.” 

“Okay, Baby. I have to go, we caught a spin and I only have so long before I have to end the line. Goodnight, I love you. See you when we get home.”

“Okay, Daddy. I love you. Be careful.” They said their goodbyes and Emma ended the call. She noticed that she had a message from the LetsChat app. She opened it and smiled, the message read “trying to take a mind off of the longest day of my life and I thought about you. What are you doing?” It was from RealDealSEAL.

Emma bit her lip before replying, “out of town with a friend. Why the long day?”

“Found out some information about someone who was close to me. Really messed me up.”

“I’m sorry. Anything you need to talk about?”

“No, a friend of mine helped me through it.”

“I’m glad you had someone with you. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, I really appreciate you putting up with my ramblings.” 

Emma let out a quiet giggle before replying, “Anytime. Eventually I will need to ramble too. 😉” 

“Well, it’s getting late where I am. Goodnight.”

“Yeah, here too. Night.” 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

They turned on the Jacuzzi, changed into their swimsuits and climbed into the warm, bubbling water. They sat opposite of each other and sighed as the jets took all the tension away. Both of them had their eyes closed until Emma’s phone began to ring. She suddenly sank deeper into the water to cover herself up to her neck. 

Clay furrowed his brows, wondering why she was suddenly covering herself. 

“It’s my dad. Don’t say a word.” 

He nodded in understanding. Jason would blow a fuse if he ever found out that they were sharing a room, much less a jacuzzi. To distract himself, Clay grabbed his phone. 

“Hi, Daddy!”

“Hey, baby! How are you doing? Is everything okay? Spenser treating you well? Protecting you?” Of course Jason would ask that, he doesn’t trust him. Clay was surprised he didn’t put up a bigger fight to stop her from coming here with him. 

“Yeah, Daddy, Clay is being a perfect gentleman. I’m just relaxing for a little while before I go to bed.” He smiled slightly at her reassuring her dad that he was taking good care of her. 

“Okay, how did it go?”

“It went okay, We have been running around Bakersfield trying to find Brian’s family. We have a lead and hopefully will find them tomorrow.” 

“Okay, Baby. I have to go, we caught a spin up and I only have so long before I have to end the line. Goodnight, I love you. See you when we get home.” Clay felt a flicker of jealousy. He wished he was with them on the spin up. But who was he kidding? Jason was never going to choose Clay for Bravo. His chances were already slim based solely on who his father was, but after that last op he was on with them? There was no way.

He shook his head, needing to get his mind off Jason and everything that had come to light about his best friend. Clay opened the LetsChat app and sent a message to one of the two women who could bring him out of his funk. 

“Trying to take my mind off of the longest day of my life and I thought about you. What are you doing?”

“Out of town with a friend. Why the long day?”

Clay sighed softly, not really knowing how to convey all that happened. “Found out some information about someone who was close to me. Really messed me up.”

“I’m sorry. Anything you need to talk about?” She was so thoughtful and caring. 

“No, a friend of mine helped me through it.” He thought of the woman sitting across from him. He glanced up at her and noticed that she was typing distractedly on her phone. 

“I’m glad you had someone with you. Let me know if you need anything.” Of course she would be worried and ask if he needed anything. 

“Thanks, I really appreciate you putting up with my ramblings.” 

“Anytime. Eventually I will need to ramble too. 😉” Clay smirked at that. 

“Well, it’s getting late where I am. Goodnight.” He said his goodbye’s, not wanting to seem as if he was ignoring Emma for so long. 

“Yeah, here too. Night.” 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

“So, what do you want to do after school?” Clay suddenly asked Emma, who had placed her phone on the counter beside the Jacuzzi. 

“Well, I would love to do something with music. I thought about maybe doing musical therapy. Studies have shown that music can help people with disabilities and psychiatric issues. And I would love to use something I’m passionate about to help people in need.”

Clay nodded in acknowledgement and was impressed by her goals for continuing her education. 

“What about you? What are your plans after Green Team?”

“How do you even know I’ll pass Green Team?” 

Emma let out a laugh, “You’re kidding, right? There is NO way my dad and Uncle Adam would let me travel across the country with someone they didn’t believe would be DEVGRU.”

Clay looked surprised at that and Emma rolled her eyes. “That and I heard dad and Uncle Adam say that you were one of the best operators they had seen in a longtime.”

Clay was certainly surprised by that statement. 

“So? What are your plans after Green Team?”

“Honestly? I want to be on Bravo.”

“My dad’s team?” Emma couldn’t say she was completely surprised. 

“Yeah, they’re the best and I want to work with the best. But your dad probably won’t choose me.”

“Why?”

“Well, I can be sort of a know it all, smartass, who doesn’t follow the rules sometimes.”

“Well then, you should fit in just fine with Bravo.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I. Look, we’ve spent the last, what 20-some odd hours, together and you have not been a smartass once. If anything you’ve been compassionate and sensitive. You have been great company under the circumstances and you have been relatively open with me. You trusted me. That's all Bravo is. They’re a family.” 

Clay laid his head back and sighed deeply, “There’s that word again: family. That’s what Brian and Master Chief Seaver have been spitting at me since Day 1.”

“Yes, Clay, a family. I don’t know how SEAL Teams outside of DEVGRU work because my dad has been DEVGRU my entire life, but teams here are a family. This isn’t just a job that you can go to and then come home to something different. You work, live, and revolve around your teammates. We have team BBQ’s once a week, including families, and we have ever since I can remember. There’s at least one member of Bravo over at my house on a daily basis, if not more. The guys are never apart for more than 8 hours. You confide in each other, trust them with your deepest secrets, and have each other’s backs on and off the battlefield. And I know from experience, that if you call any one of them at any time, day or night, they will always be there for you.”

Clay was astonished at the young woman across from him. She seemed so knowledgeable for her young age, and so sure that the team could be everything he needed. And what she said next made his eyes water.

“Clay, the men on DEVGRU teams take ‘never leave a man behind’ seriously. This isn’t about one person standing out amongst the crowd, this is about the one man who can fit in with the team and protect them at all cost. When you get drafted to Bravo or another team, you are NEVER alone. This is something that you’ll need to understand: you will never be alone again. There will always be someone, whether it's one of your brothers or their family members, that will check on you, listen to you, love you, and protect you.”

“I’ve never had that, you know.” His voice was barely audible. 

“What?”

“Someone who would drop everything to do something for me or just be with me.”

“I kind of had that feeling.” Emma moved so she was kneeling in front of him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He hesitated momentarily before returning the embrace. They stayed like that for several moments until Emma pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “Just so you know, even if you don’t get drafted to Bravo, I will always be here for you.” 

“Me too.” They shared a smile and Emma stood up.

“It’s getting late, I’m going to change for bed.” She walked into the bathroom, changed into one of her dad’s Bravo 1 t-shirts and laid on the left side of the bed. Clay left the Jacuzzi moments later, letting the water out, and changing into a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. He climbed in beside Emma, turned the lights off in the room and settled in for a good night's sleep. 

“Goodnight, Clay.” She whispered softly from her side of the bed.

“Goodnight, Emma.”


	4. Chapter 4

Clay walked into his apartment after the longest weekend of his life. He dropped his keys and bag by the door, too exhausted to even think at this point. He plopped down on his bed and pulled out his phone. He had not talked to Songbird2000 since Saturday night and he actually missed their conversations. He clicked on the LetsChat app and began texting. 

“Hey, so I just got back from the weekend from hell. What are you doing?”

He didn’t receive a reply for several minutes, “I just got home after a long weekend myself.”

“Want to talk about it?” Clay didn’t usually get into other people’s personal business but he wanted to get out of his own head. 

“It was kind of personal and we don’t really know each other that well yet.”

Clay smirked, “Maybe we could change that.”

“How?”

“Tell me about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything. What do you do?”

“I’m in school.”

“Really? What are you studying?”

“Psychology and Medical Science with a Minor in language studies.”

Clay was intrigued. “Really? What language? 

“Well, I’m fluent in Spanish but I would like to learn French or Arabic.”

“I speak six languages including Spanish, French, and Arabic.”

“That’s so awesome!”

“You said that you were studying psychology and medical science, what do you plan on doing with that?”

“I’m debating between physical therapy and being a psychiatrist.”

“Both honorable professions. Why did you choose those paths?”

“My dad and family mostly. My dad and my uncles are all in the military and I’ve seen what could happen on the battlefield and the repercussions of protecting and serving our country. I want to help the men who risk their lives to protect me and my family.”

Clay was astonished. “Very commendable. My father was in the military too.” 

“Something we have in common😉.”

Clay smiled, it never ceased to amaze him that she could make him smile. “We are getting to know each other all ready.”

“As much as I am enjoying this, I have to get to bed. School tomorrow.” 

Clay was disappointed but he knew that he was going to have a long day tomorrow without his best friend with him. “Yeah, I have an early day as well. Goodnight, Songbird2000.”

“Night, RealDealSEAL.”

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Adam Seaver had just dropped Emma off at her house. After a slight interrogation from her father about what she and Clay had done over the weekend, she retreated to her room and began unpacking her clothes. She heard her phone ding and she wondered who that could be. As she clicked her phone on, she noticed that the message was from the LetsChat app. She hadn’t had the chance to talk to RealDealSEAL since Saturday. 

“Hey, so I just got back from the weekend from hell. What are you doing?”

“I just got home after a long weekend myself.”

“Want to talk about it?” 

Emma hesitated, even though she had been talking to him almost everyday over the last month. She didn’t actually know anything about him so sharing private information about her and Clay seemed inappropriate. “It was kind of personal and we don’t really know each other that well yet.

“Maybe we could change that.”

“How?”

“Tell me about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything. What do you do?”

Emma tried to think of something to tell him rather than she was a high school student so she went with simply, “I’m in school.”

“Really? What are you studying?”

Emma shook her head, this guy was persistent and detail oriented, much like herself. Emma thought for a moment before replying with her college plans. “Psychology and Medical Science with a Minor in language studies.” 

“Really? What language? 

“Well, I’m fluent in Spanish but I would like to learn French or Arabic.”

“I speak six languages including Spanish, French, and Arabic.”

Emma was very impressed. “That’s so awesome!”

“You said that you were studying psychology and medical science, what do you plan on doing with that?”

“I’m debating between physical therapy and being a psychiatrist.”

“Both honorable professions. Why did you choose those paths?”

Emma contemplated her answer before an image of her father and the rest of Bravo came into her head as well as her Uncle Adam and Uncle Nate. “My dad and family mostly. My dad and my uncles are all in the military and I’ve seen what could happen on the battlefield and the repercussions of protecting and serving our country. I want to help the men who risk their lives to protect me and my family.”

“Very commendable. My father was in the military too.” 

She smiled. “Something we have in common😉.”

“We are getting to know each other all ready.”

She read his reply before looking at the time on her phone. She noticed that it was getting late and she had an early morning so she reluctantly decided to end the conversation. “As much as I am enjoying this, I have to get to bed. School tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, I have an early day as well. Goodnight, Songbird2000.”

“Night, RealDealSEAL.”

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma was trying to figure out what to wear. She was going with Clay to his father’s book signing event just as they had talked about and was trying to decide whether to wear jeans and a nice blouse or something dressier. As she stood looking at the outfits in front of her, she remembered back to the previous weekend. After the night at the B&B, Clay and Emma had gone back to the restaurant and talked to the waitress that had waited on them the day before. They found out that she was the one who Brian spent most of his time with, and they knew that she was the one Brian wanted to have his death benefits. Despite the years that had gone by since she last saw the little boy who only drank milk or water while he studied quietly in his booth, she was heartbroken over the loss of someone so sweet and bright.

Emma sighed deeply and chose the light blue top and jeans with white heels. She had gotten a text message from Clay telling her where to meet him for dinner and then they would drive to the library together. She looked at herself in the mirror, making sure she was presentable before exiting her room and leaving the house for her car. She met him at the bar & grill where they shared an appetizer platter and cheeseburger sliders. Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in the very back row of the library, waiting for Ash to make his appearance. 

The man who owned the library stepped on to the small platform, “Good evening, ladies and gentleman. Welcome! We are proud to have Mr. Ash Spenser with us tonight discussing his book. Ash was a SEAL for 15 years, spent time on what is formerly known as SEAL Team 6, and is the founder and owner of Ash Spenser Tactical Firearms Training, Ash Spenser Security Consulting and Ash Spenser Tactical Security Solutions, as well as a frequent contributor on various cable news outlets as a subject-matter expert on tactics and security. Please help me welcome him to the stage, Mr. Ash Spenser.” 

Everyone except Clay and Emma clapped as Ash took the stage. 

“Thank you for that wonderful introduction. I was sitting, listening to my good friend talk about my accomplishments and I worried that you all would be expecting someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dwayne Johnson to come on stage but you get little old me. And the truth is, most Tier One Operators are nothing to look at.” This statement made Emma give Clay an exasperated look. 

“Tier One Operators are not superheroes, we do not have the physique of professional athletes, and just like most people, we put our pants on one leg at a time.” 

Clay and Ash made eye contact and Emma glanced over at him before taking his hand in her’s. 

“Before I begin reading, I would like to take a poll on how many people know about the subject matter for tonight. Raise your hands if you are familiar with BUD/S?” Everyone in the room, including Clay and Emma, raised their hands. Ash smiled, “Alright, great! This is why I love reading in Virginia, specifically Virginia Beach, which is home to DEVGRU. Raise your hands if you know what DEVGRU is?” Fewer people raised their hands at this question and Ash scanned the room. His eyes landed on Emma and he smiled, “Miss? Would you explain what DEVGRU is?” 

Emma took a deep breath before confidently replying, “DEVGRU is the acronym for Naval Special Warfare Development Group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6 until 1987.” 

Ash looked relatively surprised at her answer before moving on to read an excerpt of his book. An hour later, he was finished with the reading and everyone proceeded to the table where they could have a one-on-one with Ash as he autographed their book. Clay and Emma hung back and allowed all the other guests to exit the building before approaching him. As Ash signed the last book and shook hands with the man, he stood from his seat and walked to Clay and Emma. 

“When my son said he was bringing someone with him tonight, I assumed it would be one of his friends from Green Team. How incredibly mistaken I was because you, gorgeous, are definitely not a SEAL.”

Emma smiled politely, lips closed. “No, sir. I’m not. But I am a friend of Clay’s.”

“You know I wish he had told me that he was bringing a girl to meet me because I would have dug up baby pictures of this one,” he pointed at Clay, “for you to see.”

“I’m sure he was adorable.”

“Where are my manners, I haven’t even asked what your name is.”

“Emma.”

“Emma, such a lovely name for a lovely woman.” Emma stepped closer to Clay at that statement as Clay cleared his throat. “So, you seem to know a lot about the SEALs, is that because you’re ‘friends’ with my son?”

Emma hesitated for a moment before looking at Clay. She steadied herself and replied carefully, “Not completely, my father is a SEAL.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised.” Emma’s eyes narrowed at the statement, but Ash threw his hands in the air and explained. “The way you carry yourself, Ms. Emma. It’s very confident.”

“Yes, well, I guess that can rub off.”

“So, why did my son bring you? Are you a fan of my work?”

Emma glanced at Clay out of the corner of her eye before answering. 

“Um, I more or less used the book as research for personal reasons.”

Ash nodded his head at that before continuing, “I take it your father is one of the men who despise me for my fame.”

“I wouldn’t say despise you for your fame, Mr. Spenser. I’d say it’s more along the lines of letting people in on the family secrets and romanticizing what being a SEAL means.” 

“I take it, your father’s DEVGRU?” Ash knew he had to be from her previous statement.

“Yes.” Emma announced proudly before she could talk herself out of it. “Jason Hayes.”

“The Jason Hayes?” Ash had heard many stories about the legend of Jason Hayes. His own escapades were nothing compared to what Jason and the others on Bravo had done. Ash looked between his son and Emma before addressing her once again. “Would you excuse us for a moment, Emma? I really need to speak with my son.” 

“Of course, I’ll be at the refreshment table.”

As Emma walked away, Ash gave Clay a knowing look. “I’m glad you made it, son.”

“You aren’t going to get all mushy because we’re in public are you, Ash?”

“Oh come on, I know I wasn’t the best father.”

“Try the worst father in the history of fathers.” 

“Really, well, if I was the worst father, why are you following in my footsteps?” Ash challenged making Clay take a step further, getting in his face. Emma was watching nonchalantly from her position across the room. 

“I’m not following in your footsteps, I’m erasing them.” 

“Really, erasing them by sleeping your way onto Bravo?” That comment made Clay recoil. 

“You don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I mean, son, you must have a death wish, screwing THE Jason Hayes’ daughter. I mean she’s pretty and everything, but nothing to risk your life for. She must be really something between the sheets.” 

Emma saw the way Clay’s jaws clenched and how he balled his fists, she quickly moved back towards them. 

“If I get drafted to Bravo, it’ll be because I worked my ass off. Emma won’t have anything to do with it. She and I are just friends. And as her friend, I will not allow you to disrespect her like that! Father or not.” Clay’s voice was final as he moved away from Ash. He ushered Emma out of the library with his hand placed securely on the small of her back. She could tell that something had happened between him and his father. 

“What happened?”

“What do you mean?” Clay tried to deflect but Emma was having none of it.

“Something happened while I was at the refreshment table, what was it?”

“It was nothing you need to worry about, I took care of it.”

“Took care of what? From where I was standing it looked like you were ready to pounce.”

Clay let out a huff of breath, “Ash was disrespecting you.”

“How?”

“He thinks that I’m having sex with you to make Bravo. Then he made some comments and I kind of lost it a little. It was either leave or I was going to lay him out on the floor. No one disrespects you when I’m around, not even my father.”

His grip tightened on the steering wheel as the conversation and Ash’s smug look replayed in his head. He was quickly broken out of his thoughts by the feel of soft lips touching his cheek.

“You are a good man, Clay Spenser.” Emma remarked after kissing his cheek as he pulled up to a red light. “I wish there were more men like you in this world. It would be a better place.”

Clay looked over at Emma, his heart feeling full from how certain she sounded. Many people draw conclusions about him because of his father and to know that someone who was becoming a very important part of his life knew the real him meant the world to him. 

He cleared his throat, trying to center himself after that unexpected moment.

“So, I need your help with something.” Clay tried to shift the conversation. 

“Okay…”

“I want to find an apartment and I need your help.”

“Well, my mom’s a realtor so that shouldn’t be a problem.” 

“Good to know, but I mean picking a place. I’ve never had a home before so I don’t know what goes into making it mine. I need your input.”

“I’m happy to help!”

“And I’m going to need your help decorating and moving when we find a place.”

Emma giggled, “Okay, but only if you go shopping with me and carry all my bags whenever I choose.”

Clay huffed a little laugh in return.

“Deal.”

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Clay dropped Emma off at her vehicle after telling her to let him know that she got home safe. They said their goodbye’s and Clay headed towards his apartment. He was unlocking his door when he got the text from Emma saying she had arrived home safe. As he settled into his apartment, he thought about what had happened that day, with Emma and with his father. He needed to get his mind off of Ash, so he grabbed his phone and texted Songbird2000. 

“Hey, you up?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Need to get out of my head.”

“Want to get to know each other better?”

“Absolutely, I started last time. It’s your turn.”

“You said that your dad was in the military. What’s he like?”

Clay took a deep breath, that was a loaded question. “My dad is complicated. We don’t have the best relationship. Actually, my parents shipped me off to my grandparents when I was young.”

“I’m sorry, that must have been hard for you.”

“Yeah, but you adapt and overcome.”

“How old were you?”

“6.”

“I couldn’t imagine. I mean, my dad is gone a lot but I know that he would do everything in his power to come home to me and my brother.”

“Your dad sounds like a good man. The kind of man I want to be.”

“You seem like a good man already.”

Clay felt a slight blush creep up his neck. “Thanks, I’m sure that you need to get some sleep and so do I. We’ll talk later?”

“Absolutely. Goodnight.”

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma had texted Clay to let him know that she had gotten home safe and had just finished her nighttime routine before climbing into bed. She heard her phone chime and smiled, knowing that it was RealDealSEAL. 

“Hey, you up?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Need to get out of my head.”

Emma tried to come up with a way to help him and the best thing she could decide on was continuing their discussion from the other night. “Want to get to know each other better?”

“Absolutely, I started last time. It’s your turn.”

Emma remembered their conversation and decided to ask about his family. “You said that your dad was in the military. What’s he like?”

“My dad is complicated. We don’t have the best relationship. Actually, my parents shipped me off to my grandparents when I was young.”

Emma winced. “I’m sorry, that must have been hard for you.”

“Yeah, but you adapt and overcome.”

He mentioned that he was young, but Emma wanted to know what age his parents had abandoned him at. “How old were you?”

“6.”

Emma stopped breathing momentarily. How could a parent do that to their child? “I couldn’t imagine. I mean, my dad is gone a lot but I know that he would do everything in his power to come home to me and my brother.”

“Your dad sounds like a good man. The kind of man I want to be.”

Emma smiled, yes, her father was a good man. Sure, he got on her nerves at times, but she understood that he was just trying to protect her. “You seem like a good man already.”

“Thanks, I’m sure that you need to get some sleep and so do I. We’ll talk later?”

Emma knew that he was right, but she couldn’t help the disappointment that crept up inside her. “Absolutely. Goodnight.”

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Clay and Emma had been talking on and off for several days and she had given him her mothers number after talking to her mom about his apartment hunt. After two days, Alana found a wonderful apartment at a very affordable rate. She gave Emma the address and the keys so that she could show Clay. While Emma was waiting for Clay to get to the house and pick her up (Jason was away on a spin-up), she opened the LetsChat app. She bit her lip and clicked on RealDealSEAL’s name.

“Hey, what are you up to?” She shot off the message and just moments later, she heard a ding.

“Meeting a friend of mine to hang out. Wby?”

“Waiting for a friend to pick me up. We’re going shopping.” Emma didn’t want to say too much to a stranger about her plans today with Clay, knowing that as a SEAL he would most likely not want his business discussed with someone he didn’t know.

“Cool, I hope that you have fun. I’ll talk to you later, I’m pulling up at my friend’s house.”

“Okay, talk later.” Emma heard a knock on the door. 

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Clay was on his way to pick Emma up at her house to take her apartment shopping. He was pleasantly surprised when Alana found him an apartment so quickly. He was excited that Emma was able to come with him to look around the place, wanting to get her input. As Clay came to a stop at a redlight, his phone pinged. Reaching for it, he hoped that it wasn’t a message from Master Chief Seaver about a surprise assessment. He smiled when he saw it was from the Let’sChat app. 

“Hey, what are you up to?”

Clay didn’t want to give away too much information, not sure how Emma would react to him discussing her with a complete stranger. “Meeting a friend of mine to hang out. Wby?”

“Waiting for a friend to pick me up. We’re going shopping.”

Clay pulled into the address that Emma had texted him. “Cool. I hope you have fun. I’ll talk to you later. I’m pulling up at my friend’s house.”

“Okay, talk later.” He locked his phone and made his way to the front door and knocked. 

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

“Come in, Clay.” Emma’s voice called from inside the apartment.

“You know it’s dangerous to leave your door unlocked and to invite someone in without checking to see who it is.” 

“Yes, but you texted me that you were ten minutes out. That was ten minutes ago, so chances were that it was you.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt.” He said earnestly as he placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her to his car. 

“I appreciate that, but I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure you can, but that doesn’t make me worry any less.”

Emma sighed as they reached the passenger side. Clay opened the door for her but she turned around so that she was staring at him. “Would it make you less worried if I kept the door locked at all times, even if I know it would be you coming through the door?”

“Yes, yes it would.”

“Then that’s what I will do, happy?”

“100%.” 

She climbed into the car and Clay walked around to the driver’s side. Emma typed the address into her phone and they drove the 10 minutes from her house. As they arrived, both noticed that it was in a good neighborhood. The apartment was close to the base and close enough to Emma where Clay would be able to get to her if anything were to happen, which made him very happy. They pulled into the parking lot and exited the vehicle. Emma looked down at the tag on the key for the apartment number. 

“324.” 

They made their way into the building and up to the unit. As they reached the door, Emma handed the key to Clay. “Would you like to do the honors?”

Clay accepted the key and unlocked the door. They entered the apartment and walked through slowly, taking in the surroundings. It was a nice one bedroom, one bathroom apartment with a spacious kitchen and sitting area. The bedroom was quite large as well, big enough for a king sized bed, and there was a walk-in closet and the bathroom had a walk-in shower. 

“What do you think?” Clay wanted Emma’s opinion.

“I love it, but I’m not the one who will be living here.”

“You have a point. But you did agree to help me find the perfect apartment and help decorate, so what do you think?”

“I think that it’s perfect. Mom did an excellent job!”

He nodded, satisfied with her answer. 

“Good, I’ll make the offer.” 

“Yay!” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. 

Clay made the offer and was approved right away. He was told that he could move in the next week. “So, I hope you are free to help move me in on Monday.”

“Absolutely.”

“How much can you lift?” Clay suddenly blurted out.

“Um, I don’t know, why?”

“Because we are going to be lifting some heavy stuff to get into the apartment.”

“I’m up for any challenge.” Emma winked at him. 

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Monday afternoon, Clay and Emma were carrying a couch from the elevator towards his new apartment. 

“You sure you’re good, Em?” Clay wanted to make sure that she wasn’t pushing herself too hard.

“Yeah, Clay, I’m fine. But can we speed this up, please.” She said through gritted teeth, the couch wasn’t extremely heavy but her grip was slipping. 

“Okay, we’ll put it down so I can open the door.” They reached his apartment and sat the couch on the floor. Emma let out a deep breath and shook her arms out. Just before they picked the couch up once again, the door adjacent to Clay’s swung open to reveal a man and a woman. 

“Emma Hayes?” The man asked with furrowed brows.

“Derek, hi.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m helping Clay move in.” Emma pointed to Clay before making introductions. “Clay Spenser this is Derek Young, Alpha 2. Derek this is Clay Spenser, he’s in the middle of Green Team training.” 

“Spenser, I’ve heard a lot about you.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Derek.”

“Trish, it’s good to see you again.” Emma smiled as she hugged the other woman. 

“Why don’t you let me help you with that couch, Spenser? If Emma got hurt, Jason would never let either of us live it down.” Derek moved to the end of the couch and hefted the other side up with ease, helping Clay maneuver it into the apartment with no trouble at all. 

“Thanks, Derek.” Emma smiled before turning back to Trish.

“You want a beer?” Clay asked Derek, who followed him into the kitchen.

“Fair warning, my man. Dating Jason Hayes’ daughter is not going to make you a popular pick on the teams when it comes selection time.” Derek mentioned to Clay, who whipped his head around at the statement.

“Oh no, man. That isn’t what’s going on here. We’re just friends.” He insisted.

Derek didn’t look as if he believed him, “if you say so. I won’t mention it to Jason.”

“Thanks, man.” They both looked over to see Emma and Trish deep in conversation. Clay gazed at Emma as he played over what Derek had said. He’d never thought about Emma like that before. Sure, she was beautiful, he wasn’t blind, but she was the first person in his life since his grandparents that had never lied to him and was there for him no matter what. Besides even if he had considered it, with a father in the SEALs, there was no way she would go for one anyway. 

Across the room, Trish mentioned something similar to Emma. “Are you sure you want to be with a SEAL, Em. I understand that you’re used to this life, but being with a SEAL is much different than being the daughter of a SEAL.”

Emma looked confused for a moment before her eyes widened in comprehension. “Oh, no, you think that Clay and I… that’s not what’s going on. We’re just friends, nothing else.” 

Trish stared at Emma momentarily before replying, “whatever you say, just be careful.” Emma made eye contact with Clay and let her mind drift. Of course Emma had noticed that Clay was attractive, she was a teenage girl with eyes, but in all the time she had known Clay she had never considered a relationship with him. 

Before Emma could respond, Trish and Derek were saying their goodbye’s and leaving the apartment. Not wanting to think too much about Trish and Derek’s comments, Emma and Clay continued moving furniture and appliances into the apartment until it was completely set up and decorated. 

“Welcome home, Clay.” 

“Thank you so much for helping me.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She relaxed into his embrace before pulling away. “So, when do you want to go shopping? A promise is a promise.” 

“Friday?”

“Friday should work. I know we have a training op that will last most of this week. If we run long, I’ll let you know.” 

“Okay, I’ll see you on Friday then. Be careful on the training op.” The loss of Brian still weighed heavily on both their minds. 

“I will. Let me know when you get home.” They bid each other goodbye before Emma walked to her car and drove home.

Entering the house, Emma saw her dad sitting impatiently on the couch. “Hey, daddy.”

“Hey, your mom told me that you asked her to help Clay Spenser find an apartment and that you spent the day with him, what’s up with that?” Jason, not one to best around the bush, wanted to know exactly what was happening between his baby and Spenser. 

“Just helping a friend.”

“A friend? When did you become friends with Spenser?” He asked skeptically.

“While we were gone to California.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“Why? He’s a good guy.”

“He’s a cocky, arrogant, know it all.”

“As opposed to you, Mr. Humble.” Emma replied sarcastically, giving her father a glare. 

“That’s different.”

“No it isn’t. Look, you need to give Clay a chance. He isn’t his father.”

“You don’t even know his father.”

“But I have spent enough time with Clay to know what kind of man he is. And trust me, daddy, he is a good man.” 

“Is there something going on with the two of you? Spenser does know that you’re 17, right?”

Emma let out an exasperated sigh, “No, daddy, nothing like that is happening between me and Clay. And yes, he is aware that I’m 17.” 

“Okay, just be careful. I don’t want you to get attached to him and god-forbid something happens to him.”

“Nothing is going to happen to him. His brothers will watch over him.” Emma gave her father a knowing look before leaving him to his thoughts. 

Clay&Emma-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

It was Thursday night and Clay and the rest of Green Team were in the back of a van talking and joking on their way home from their successful training mission. He had taken Emma’s advice and become more open with the men, dialing down his cockiness with positive results. They invited him for drinks at the Bulkhead but before he could respond, the van stopped abruptly and was hit from behind. Moments later, Clay and the other members of Green Team were being herded into different vehicles, bags over their heads, and hands bound.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to my beta ididitjustforthis for listening to my rants about this chapter over the last couple weeks. So sorry this took so long to write, life has gotten in the way. I hope everyone enjoys!

Clay Spenser awoke inside a cage that was barely big enough for him to kneel, hands tied behind his back, wearing only a pair of shorts. He looked around the dimly lit room at the other Green Team members, who were also being held in cages. He noticed there were six other men in the room. Each one was wearing masks that covered their entire face and carried assault rifles. 

‘Must be time for SERE.’ 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma stood inside the food court where she and Clay had agreed to meet at 4:00. She glanced at her phone with furrowed brows and noticed that he was 30 minutes late. She did not see any missed calls or text messages from him either. 

‘That’s weird. Clay would have told me if he was going to be late.’ 

Emma tried calling his cell phone, but there was no answer. She tried again, receiving nothing but a dial tone. It was as if Clay was sending her call straight to voicemail. 

‘He probably got caught up on the training mission, and he’s not able to make it.’

Deciding he was unlikely to show or call at that point, Emma went ahead and got what she needed before making her way home. 

She pulled into her driveway around 6:00. The only thing she could think about was Clay and why he had not returned her call by now. He had told her that the training exercise would be routine, but of course, she knew that nothing was standard with the job. She trudged inside with her bags and was greeted by her mother. Apparently, her dad was on some mission and would not be home. She climbed the stairs to her room and collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. Emma reached for her phone once again, hoping for an answer, but there was nothing. Now she was starting to get worried about Clay. 

‘Why hadn’t he talked to her?’ 

Trying to take her mind off of it and keep from imagining those worst-case scenarios for why he was staying so silent, she opened the LetsChat app and sent a message to RealDealSEAL.

“Hey, you. You have a minute?” She shot off the message and waited. 

Time moved slowly as she stared at the screen, waiting for those three little dots to pop and let her know that he was replying.

No response.

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

“Tell us what you know!” A masked man shouted into Clay’s face before punching him in the stomach. He refused to respond and was dealt another blow in the same spot. His captor loomed over him as he took a ragged breath and coughed. “Who do you work for?” 

Clay stayed silent and was rewarded with a punch to the mouth. ‘Just stay calm. This is not real.’ He kept repeating to himself as he tried to think about something other than the pain being inflicted. The only thing that came to mind was Emma. 

Suddenly having a burst of energy, Clay spewed blood and spit onto his interrogator, who became enraged. He shouted something at the other two men in the room, who proceeded to lean Clay back in his chair, drape a towel over his face, and pour a continuous stream of water over his mouth. 

He struggled to breathe as water entered his nose, throat, and lungs. Clay instinctively fought against his bindings as he tried to escape the sensation of drowning. After letting him choke for a moment, they removed the towel and sat him up once again to continue their interrogation. 

“Are you ready to talk now?”

“Actually, I’m still a little thirsty,” Clay smirked and was once again pulled backward and waterboarded. 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Morning came, and her alarm clock awoke Emma. She turned over and pressed the snooze button before reaching for her phone. 

Nothing. There was not a message from Clay, nor from RealDealSEAL. 

Emma was confused, concerned, and slightly unsettled. Her alarm blared once again, signaling that it was time for her to get up and prepare for the day ahead of her. 

She completed her morning routine and was halfway down the stairs when she heard her dad and the rest of Bravo in the kitchen. 

“Wonder how the Green Team guys are fairing in SERE?” She heard her Uncle Ray ask. 

“Yeah, wonder which one of those sissies will be going home after them hellish days.” Sonny chuckled before sipping his coffee.

‘That’s where Clay is.’ Emma realized. She was filled with a sense of relief at knowing where he was. That was quickly followed by dread. 

‘I hope he’s okay.’ 

Jason never talked extensively with his kids about what operators go through, even in training. While he dropped small bits of information here and there, Emma was largely left to fill in the blanks herself. She had watched documentaries and interviews, consumed whatever she could on the Navy SEALs and knew what happened during SERE. While the scenario was fake, torture was torture. No amount of pretending was going to make it less painful or dangerous.

With those thoughts in mind, Emma couldn’t help herself. She had to know if Clay was okay. Nevertheless, if she walked into that kitchen and asked her father in front of the team, she knew she would be assaulted with questions from her Uncle Sonny and looks from her Uncle Ray, Uncle Trent, and Uncle Brock. So, the best course of action was for Emma to bring her dad to her instead.

“Dad, could you come up here for a second? I need you!” She called down the stairs before retreating to her room, where she paced until he arrived.

“What is it, Em?”

“I heard you and the guys talking. Clay is not going to get hurt during SERE, right?” 

Jason let out a long, deep sigh and placed his hands on his hips. “Emma, I do not think-”

“Dad, he’s my friend.” She cut him off firmly, though her eyes pleaded for an answer. “Will he be okay?”

“Yes, if Spenser does everything that he’s been taught, he should be fine. Don’t worry.” 

“Okay.” She let out a sigh of relief, and Jason just stared, trying to read her mind. “I have to leave for school.” With that, Emma grabbed her bag and left the room. Jason stood in the middle of the room, staring at the doorway in complete silence before shaking his head and moving back to the kitchen. 

The entire drive to school, Emma couldn’t stop thinking about Clay, wondering what he was going through and if he was injured. Emma shook the images that formed from her head and forced herself to focus on her day ahead. 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Clay sat inside his cage and watched the other Green Team members go through the same torment he experienced the day before. He thought back to the repeated asphyxiation he was subjected to. There were moments when he thought about giving in and folding under the pressure. But every time, his mind would wander to Emma Hayes and suddenly he found the strength to continue. Three of the men had already broken and were taken out of the room to be released from Green Team. Clay was adamant that he would make it through this training no matter what they put him through. 

One of the men walked over to his cage, unlocked it, and roughly pulled him through the small opening. They dragged him over to a large round barrel and forced him into the confined space. He was chained into the small container and a lid was placed on top of him with a single hole in the middle. 

He spent hours inside the barrel. At least he thinks that it was hours. It could have been days. He didn’t know anymore. Suddenly, the barrel began to fill with water. Clay took a breathe to regulate his heart rate and to stay calm. He felt the water rise above his ankles and calves before it consumed his knees, legs and hips. His sternum was next, then his neck and chin. The water lapped at his face as he concentrated on relaxing, his mind conjuring thoughts of blue eyes and long blonde hair as the water took up those last few inches of space in the barrel and finally covered his nose. 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma went through her day at school but she couldn’t get Clay out of her head. What was happening to him? Was he hurt? She was lost in thought when Hannah came to stand beside her. 

“So, how is your boyfriend?” 

“Hmm?” Emma turned to look at her.

“Your boyfriend?”

“What boyfriend?” Emma was confused.

“The guy that dad sent you off to California with. You have been a ray of sunshine ever since you got back, and now you look upset. Did you get into a fight or something?” 

“First of all, Clay is not my boyfriend. Secondly, they are going through SERE, so I’m worried about him.” Hannah shook her head in understanding. 

“I’m sure that he’ll be fine, Em.”

“Yeah, I hope.” Emma was still distant, and she looked at her phone for the 100th time that day.

“Okay, there is more going on than just worrying about Cole.”

“Clay.”

“Clay. So, what is it?” 

“You know the guy I’ve been talking to on the LetChat app?”

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned him before.”

“Well, he hasn’t responded to any of my messages over the last couple of days.”

“I’m sure he has just been busy.”

“You’re probably right. I’m just worrying over nothing. Let’s go to lunch.” She began walking towards the cafeteria. Maybe she could get her mind off of Clay with some food.

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Clay was floating, trying to remember what happened. He opened his eyes and found himself in the middle of the ocean. He looked around desperately. He scrambled, forcing his mind to remember. SERE. He must be fighting consciousness. Clay began to breathe heavily and fidget until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly and saw Emma beside him in the water. She was smiling at him.

“Emma, what are you doing here?”

“This is your mind, Clay; you brought me here.” 

“But-” 

Emma moved closer to him and placed her hands on his neck. He stared into her eyes and suddenly felt relaxed. “You can do this. You’re almost there.” Emma smiled at him once again before disappearing. 

Suddenly, Clay was back in the barrel. He fought against his restraints and was able to break free. Just as he did, two hands were reaching down for him to grab. He took them into his and was pulled out of the water. He blinked a few times before his eyes focused and he saw Jason Hayes standing in front of him. 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma was pacing her bedroom, unable to concentrate on her homework. All she could think about was Clay. As she fiddled with the phone, she heard a knock on the door. 

“Who is it?”

“It’s dad.”

She opened her door to see her father standing with a hesitant look. 

“What is it, daddy?”

“I wanted to let you know that Clay is finished with SERE.”

“Is he okay? Did he pass?”

“Yes, he passed, and he seemed fine.” Jason turned away from the door.

“Daddy, is it okay if I go over to his apartment?”

Jason paused and let out a sigh. “Have you done your homework?”

“I’ll take it with me. I only have two assignments. They should be easy. But, I’m not going to concentrate until I know that Clay is okay.”

Jason scrunched his eyebrows, “You sure nothing is going on between you and Spenser?”

Emma rolled her eyes, “Yes, daddy, we’re just friends. I’m worried about him, though. He doesn’t have anyone to take care of him like you guys.” 

“Okay, go ahead and let me know when you leave.”

She hugged him, kissed him on the cheek, and grabbed her backpack before practically running out the door to her car. 

She was standing outside of Clay’s apartment door 25 minutes later. Emma had stopped by the grocery store to grab some food for her to cook. She knocked softly and waited. After a few minutes, the door opened, and Clay appeared.

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Clay was sitting on his couch, trying to breathe through the pain of his cracked ribs. He had managed to climb the stairs in his apartment building, gotten a shower, and put on fresh clothes. There was a knock on the door, and he groaned before getting the strength to move towards the door. He opened the door to find Emma standing there. He remembered they had plans together the day after SERE began. 

“Oh, Emma. We were supposed to meet at the mall the other day. I’m so sor-” Clay was cut off by Emma launching herself at him and wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“It’s fine, Clay. Dad told me about SERE. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” She squeezed his shoulders slightly, and he groaned.

Emma quickly pulled back, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“No, Emma, it’s okay. Come in.” He waved her inside and watched Emma place her bag down beside the coffee table. 

Emma turned to look at him, “is there something I can get you?”

“No, I’ll be alright. I really am sorry about standing you up at the mall.”

“Clay, please, it isn’t like you had a choice. Here you sit,” Emma guided him to the couch and watched him sit, “I’m going to make us something to eat. Chicken parmesan okay with you?” Emma moved towards the kitchen with the bag of groceries. 

“Yeah, Emma, but you really don’t have to-” He was cut off by Emma, who brought a dish towel back to him.

“Take off your shirt.” 

“Excuse me?” Clay looked at her incredulously.

“I have ice for your ribs.” She held up the dishcloth for him to see while she rolled her eyes. 

Clay hesitated momentarily before reaching to his neck and pulling the shirt over his head. Emma looked at his toned, muscular chest and abs. There were bruises all over him. She sat on the cushion beside him and lightly placed the dishcloth on the most significant bruise. He hissed lightly, and she winced.

“I’m sorry.” 

Clay brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face before resting his hand on her cheek. 

She looked at him and saw the bruise on his cheekbone and his split lip. She moved her unoccupied hand to his face and touched his lip lightly. She leaned forward and kissed the bruise that covered his cheek. 

“I will make our missed shopping trip up to you, I promise.” He whispered to her.

“I know. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She whispered back to him and smiled. 

“It’s because of you, you know?”

“What’s because of me?”

“I made it through because of you. Anytime I thought about quitting, I would think of you, and I would have the strength to keep going.” 

Emma felt tears swell in her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before the oven timer beeped, breathing their moment. Emma didn’t realize how close they were until she got off the couch to go into the kitchen. Clay cleared his throat as he placed his hand over the dishcloth to hold the ice to his bruised ribs. He grabbed his phone from the table and noticed several missed calls and texts from Emma. He did feel awful about standing her up, even though it wasn’t entirely his fault. He groaned when he noticed three missed messages on the LetsChat app. 

He opened the app and felt worse with every message.

“Hey, you. You have a moment?”

“Hey, can we talk?”

“I really need a friend right now.”

How was he going to explain his absence? His fingers hovered off the keys, trying to find a way to apologize and explain without talking about SERE.

“I am so sorry! I’ve been away on business, and we couldn’t take our personal phones. I hate that I wasn’t there when you needed me. Do you still want to talk?”

He stared at the screen and thought that she might not respond when he took so long to reply back, but he saw the bubble pop up on the screen. He held his breath. 

“Hey! I’m glad to hear from you again. I assumed it was something like that. You don’t seem like the type to just ignore someone. No, I don’t need to talk anymore, everything is perfect now. I was just having a personal crisis.”

He smiled as he read the response, “You are right. I would never ignore anyone, especially when I consider them a close friend. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for your personal crisis.”

“It’s all right. As I said, everything is perfect now. You really consider me a close friend? We don’t even know each other.”

“We may not have exchanged names, but you know more about me than anyone,” he thought about the woman in the kitchen for a moment, “almost anyone.” 

“That means a lot to me. I’m glad that you feel safe enough to share things with me. I enjoy talking to you. Other than one person, you are my go-to now.”

He felt great, knowing that she was comfortable enough to talk to him about her personal business. “Means a lot to me too.”

“It’s great to hear from you, but I need to go before I burn dinner.”

“I’m glad to be home too. Get back to your dinner. I’m going to rest for a little while. We’ll talk later?” Clay sent the message, hoping he did not sound desperate.

“Absolutely.”

Clay&Emma---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma placed the breaded chicken, tomato sauce, and mozzarella into the stove when her phone dinged. As she reached for the phone, she noticed that it was from the LetsChat app. She was surprised. She had not heard from him in days. She opened the app and read his message. 

“I am so sorry! I’ve been away on business, and we couldn’t take our personal phones. I hate that I wasn’t there when you needed me. Do you still want to talk?”

He seems sincere about his apology, and she knew better than anyone what it was like when a person’s occupation calls them away. “Hey! I’m glad to hear from you again. I assumed it was something like that. You don’t seem like the type to just ignore someone,” Emma looked over at the couch where Clay was holding the dishcloth to his side, scrolling through his phone. She smiled, “No, I don’t need to talk anymore. Everything is perfect now. I was just having a personal crisis.”

“You are right. I would never ignore anyone, especially when I consider them a close friend. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for your personal crisis.”

“It’s all right. As I said, everything is perfect now. You really consider me a close friend? We don’t even know each other.” Emma bit her lip as she sent the message. 

“We may haven’t exchanged names, but you know more about me than almost anyone.” 

“That means a lot to me. I’m glad that you feel safe enough to share things with me. I enjoy talking to you,” Emma once again thought back to Clay, “Other than one person, you are my go-to now.”

“Means a lot to me too.”

She turned back to the stove, “It’s great to hear from you, but I need to go before I burn dinner.”

“I’m glad to be home too. Get back to your dinner. I’m going to rest for a little while. We’ll talk later?” 

“Absolutely.”

Clay&Emma---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Emma carried two plates overflowing with chicken parmesan pasta to the couch. She handed one to Clay before placing hers down on the coffee table. 

“What do you want to drink?”

“A beer, I don’t think there is anything else other than water.”

“Okay, I’ll be back.” She started back to the kitchen when Clay’s voice stopped her.

“You don’t have to treat me like an invalid.”

She turned to look at him, “I want to do this for you, so shut up and eat your food.”

He gave her a mock salute before taking a bit of his pasta. He moaned as his eyes rolled back. Emma returned with a bottle of water for her and a beer for him. 

“Emma, this is better than sex.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Okay, maybe not better but just as good!” He insisted, and she chuckled. 

“So, when will you know what team you will be on?”

“The Master Chief’s and Senior Chief’s have to make the decision. Bravo gets the first pick, though.”

“So you’re going to be drafted to Bravo.” She said it as more of a statement then a question.

“We don’t know that for sure, yet.”

“Dad and Uncle Ray would be stupid not too.”

“We’ll see. So how have your last couple days been?”

“Got up, worried, went to school, worried, checked my phone, worried, went home, did homework, worried, went to bed.” 

“I’m sorry, if I had known I would have told you before-” Clay was cut off by Emma’s smile

“I’m just kidding. I know that you would never leave me hanging.” She reassured him and they finished their food in silence.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Clay motioned to the flat screen television across from them. 

“Uh, yeah. You pick, I need to finish some homework.” 

“You didn’t have to come fix me dinner if you had homework to do.”

“I wasn’t going to be able to concentrate until I knew you were okay.”

“Thanks, Em. I’ve never had anyone worry about me before.”

“Well you do now.” Emma leaned over to grab her notebook and History book from the backpack. Clay grabbed the remote beside him and flipped through the channels until he came upon The Bodyguard. 

They settled in for the two hour long movie. Emma was curled up with her back towards the arm rest, book in her lap as she took notes. Clay would glance over at her every once in awhile and watch her as she studied intently. She would glance up at him and their eyes would meet momentarily before Clay looked back at the screen.

After Emma finished her homework, she turned to the screen in time to see Whitney Houston’s character receive a threatening phone call. She placed her history book and notebook into her backpack and settled beside Clay in time to see the characters traveling to their lakefront cabin. She had seen this movie multiple times, but it felt different somehow. Through the movie, Emma and Clay migrated together until Emma was practically leaning against Clay. The movie ended and Emma could tell that Clay was getting tired, but seemed hesitant about going to sleep. 

Emma made a decision. 

She climbed off the couch, grabbed her phone and walked into the kitchen to call her dad. The phone rang three times before Jason answered.

“Hey, Em. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, dad, everything is fine. I wanted to ask you a question but I don’t want you to overreact.”

“What?” 

“Is it okay if I spend the night here?”

“Here where?”

“At Clay’s.”

“Excuse me? No, you cannot spend the night at Spenser’s!”

“Dad, Clay needs me. You know what it’s like after SERE, but unlike you Clay doesn’t have someone to come home too.”

“Fine, but no funny business.”

“Dad!” 

“I’m being serious, Emma. I’m trusting you to be a responsible adult. And, make sure that you get to school on time in the morning.”

“Dad, I promise, nothing is going to happen. Besides, he can barely move anyway.”

“He’s a man Emma, we have our ways.”

“Oh my god! I am not having this conversation with you. I promise nothing is going to happen.”

“I love you, Em. Just be careful.”

“I love you too. Thank you.” She hung up with her father and walked back to the couch. Clay was trying to keep his eyes open as Emma reached for Clay’s hand. 

Clay’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. 

“Come on, Clay. Let’s get to bed.”

“You want to go to bed?” Clay’s eyes widened, his mind going to a place where it shouldn’t.

“And sleep.” Emma stressed before smirking at him as he took a deep, calming breath. 

“Jason would kill me if he knew you spent the night.”

“He knows, I called and asked him.” 

“And he said, yes?” Clay was beyond shocked at the fact that Jason would let his 17 year old daughter spend the night in the same apartment as someone he hates. 

“Yeah, he trusts us. You need to sleep and I know that you won’t if you’re here by yourself, so let’s go.” She softly pulled him up from the couch and walked quietly into his bedroom. “Can I borrow one of your t-shirts?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Clay walked to his dresser, pulled out a black t-shirt, handed it to her, and pointed her towards his bathroom. She smiled at him before walking into the bathroom. 

Clay sighed and began to remove his clothes and climbed into bed. Emma came out of the bathroom with her clothes in her hands. She laid them on the side table and climbed in beside him. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since she came into the bedroom.

“What?” 

“Nothing, I just wanted to thank you. Like I said, I’ve never had anyone who is concerned about me. It’s nice.” 

“You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me. I care about you, so get used to me asking about injuries and worrying about you. Why don’t we get some sleep?” She rolled onto her side, away from him and settled in for the night. 

Clay smiled at the woman beside him before reaching to turn the lamp off. He had been through hell the past couple days and she was there to help him through it. Now that he had made it through every obstacle Green Team threw his way, he couldn’t wait to see what the future held for him. 

Clay&Emma----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Clay&Emma

Clay had a smile on his face as he walked through the halls of DEVGRU. He woke up this morning, refreshed and made sure that Emma got off the school on time. He turned the corner and almost ran into Jason Hayes, Ray Perry, and Beau Fuller. 

“Be here. 0800 and bring beer.” Jason called back to him over his shoulder as he passed him.

“Your team?” Clay was hopeful.

Jason stopped abruptly, “Yes. My team,” Jason moved close to him so that only Clay would hear, “Don’t go thinking this is a free pass to my daughter. I'll be watching you.”

Clay watches Jason’s back as he moves towards Bravo’s locker room before turning and heading towards the Green Team room to clean out his locker. As he reached the room, he pulled his phone out and texted Emma. 

“Hey, can you talk?” He sent the message and Emma replied almost immediately with a thumbs up. Moments later, Emma’s smiling face was staring at him on the screen. “Hey, Emma.”

“Hi, what’s up?”

“I made it. I’m on Bravo.”

“Yay! Congratulations! I guess this means that we will be seeing each other more often.”

“That may be the best part.” Clay smiled, giddy with excitement. “Why don’t we get together and celebrate?”

“Sure, when?”

“Tonight?”

“Absolutely. Can’t wait.”


End file.
